Increasing production

In June 2023, Houghton Library requested increased imaging production for the Dickinson Family Library project.

Through consultation, testing and evaluation, Houghton and Imaging Services revised the sorting criteria used to determine which books require specialized handling and photography from those well-matched to our standardized, higher-production, photography service. The updated sorting criteria dramatically increased the proportion of books routed to the higher-throughput service.

Per Christine Jacobson, 2024-06-27, an estimated 160,277 page-images remained.

Post-2024-06-27, Imaging Services has completed 5 batches, with page-images totaling 23,024–an average 2,521 per month.

Estimating remaining volumes and page-images, per CJ, 06/27/2024

  • Studio (D40) designated titles: 15,124 page-images.
  • Lab (D20) desginated titles: 47,713 page-images.
  • D20- & D40-designated items that need to be treated: 97,440 page-images.
  • To-be-designated items: 223,050 page-images
  • Total number of images, estimated: 160277

At our current production rate

With 137,253 images remaining, and our current production rate of 2,521 per month, our projected project completion date is October 14, 2029.


Targeting a date for completing the project

Alternatively, if we set a goal of completing the project on June 30, 2026, for example, our production rate would need to be 9,182 images per month; and in practice, ensuring we complete the project on-time would require setting a more ambitious target, recognizing we will periodically fail to hit any mark we set.

In this scenario, Imaging Services would recommend Houghton deliver 4000–5000 pages monthly to D20, in addition to any batches it delivers to D40, and that we reassess our progress in six-or-so months.



last revised: Tue May 20 13:59:56 2025